


Dreams

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s07e08 Pretty in Blue, F/M, Flashbacks, Glass Believer, Parent Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Regal Believer, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 15:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13549917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: “How do you know when you love someone?”





	Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by wickedregal on Tumblr: “ It’s you.” “What?” “ When all my dreams come true, the one I want next to me. It’s you. It’s you.”

“How do you know when you love someone?”

 

The question came out of nowhere one afternoon at Granny’s. Henry was devouring a burger, while Regina quietly cut into her salad. Her 6-year-old’s question caught her off guard and nearly caused her to cut herself with the knife.

 

“Be careful, Mommy,” Henry said with a giggle.

“I will, sweetheart.” She cleared her throat. “What has you thinking about love?”

“I heard Ashley saying that she loved Sean.”

It took all Regina had to not roll her eyes. Clearly, Ashley needed to be more careful about how she spoke when little ears were listening. “Well, I suppose she does. She is having his baby after all.”

“Is that how you know you’re in love? When you have someone’s baby?”

“No, no. You should be in love before you have a baby with someone.”

“So, how do you know that you’re in love?”

 

Regina paused. She had never loved many things in her life. The little boy in front of her was one of the rare few. She thought of her other love, her first love. What had made her realize she was in love with Daniel? Her mind drifted to what Daniel meant, outside having a companion, to love and be loved in return. If she had managed to escape her mother’s clutches, her dreams would’ve come true.

 

“Well,” she said, reflecting on her thoughts a bit. “Think about what you want to be when you grow up, what’s your biggest and wildest dream?”

“Hmmm…” Henry leaned forward, nearly getting his elbow in ketchup before she guided it away. “Being a prince!”

She chuckled, lightly. Oh, how little he knew. If only they were back where she came from. “Okay, well being in love with someone means that they’re the person you want beside you when all your dreams come true.”

 

The sentiment stayed with Henry throughout his life. His dreams changed about a million times, from prince to doctor to astronaut to author. It wasn’t until he was 18 that he realized, he still had no clue. So, he headed off on his own grand adventure. Along the way, he met many interesting people, most versions of the same people he had grown up around.

 

And he found himself falling for the version of the woman who had sparked his interest in true love after all.

 

Ella wasn’t your average princess. She was a tough warrior, who would fight for her own happy ending if it was the last thing she did. She cared for others and yet, was flawed. He had learned over the years that things weren’t black and white, that even heroes could fall. All that mattered was that they got back up in the end.

 

It wasn’t long after their stint in Wonderland. Ella and Henry had kissed, but they weren’t officially a couple, at least not yet. He sat on the log, warming his hands up on the fire as he was suddenly hit by the memory of his mother’s words.

 

_“Being in love with someone means that they’re the person you want beside you when all your dreams come true.”_

 

His dreams were coming true. He had found a new home in the forest, with the people that mattered surrounding him. Sure, he’d always miss Storybrooke, but he could visit. He was getting to battle, go on adventures and for the first time in a long time, he finally felt like he belonged.

 

And the person he wanted by his side for all of it was only 5 feet away.

 

Henry got up and walked over to Ella. “It’s you.”

Ella looked up at him, cocking an eyebrow. “What?”

 “When all my dreams come true, the one I want next to me. It’s you. It’s you.” He smiled, taking hold of her hand. “I love you, Ella.”

A soft grin fell across her face, swinging his hand. “Well, this is very random…but I love you too.” She pecked his lips. “What brought all this on?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my parents, it’s that if there’s something you want to say, you should say it now.”

“I’m glad you did.”

 

Henry wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin atop her head. Who said that dreams didn’t come true?


End file.
